The present invention relates to a barrier device for a fluid system cover, such as a water meter cover that is manipulated to enable access to the water meter.
Typically, a municipal water system includes underground conduits that are disposed below street and/or sidewalk levels, and contain water meters at strategic locations in the system. An opening in a street or sidewalk system provides access to a water meter, and a water meter cover typically covers the opening and provides a relatively continuous surface upon which pedestrians can walk or vehicles can travel. A water meter cover typically comprises a relatively heavy metal plate like structure that inserts into the opening, and which is manipulated by a person seeking access to the water meter. In the applicants' experience, a water meter cover typically includes an access opening extending through the metal plate, and into which a person seeking to manipulate the cover can insert a hook like tool.
The access opening in a water meter cover, if uncovered, can provide access of dirt, debris, animals, etc, to the water meter, and that is not desirable. However, if the access opening in the water meter cover is covered up, the ability to engage the cover with a tool may be limited or restricted, and that is also not desirable.
The present invention addresses those and other issues in a fluid system cover, by providing a new and useful barrier device designed to be coupled to a fluid system cover (e.g. a water meter cover), in a way that effectively seals the access opening in the cover against ingress of dirt, debris, animals, etc.
Moreover, the present invention provides a barrier device that, in its preferred form, also provides a structure that enables a hook like tool to engage and manipulate the coupled barrier device and cover.
A barrier device according to one preferred form of the present invention comprises a one-piece cap structure configured to be coupled to a fluid system cover. The one piece cap structure includes a hood with a border configured to at least partially flatten against a fluid system cover as the cap structure is being coupled to the fluid system cover, so that the border of the hood and the fluid system cover combine to form a barrier to materials and objects near the border of the hood.
In its preferred form, the one-piece cap structure includes a recess designed for engagement by a tool, to enable a coupled barrier device and cover to be manipulated by the tool.
In addition, the present invention provides additional features that are useful with fluid system covers, and are particularly useful with water meter covers. For example, the barrier device of the present invention is designed to be coupled with covers whose thickness can vary over a predetermined range and which will still provide its new and useful features with covers whose thickness varies over that predetermined range.
Moreover, according to another preferred form of the present invention, structure is provided that can be integrally connected to the one piece cap structure, and which can further extend the thickness range of the fluid system covers with which the cap structure can be used.
Further features and objectives of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.